OWINGS MILLS, MD – The Wilkes University men's volleyball team suffered two Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) defeats Saturday afternoon as the Colonels were swept by the top two teams in the conference. The hosts of the tri-match, No. 4 Stevenson University, defeated Wilkes 25-14, 25-13, 25-19 before the Colonels battled tough before falling to Arcadia University, who is receiving votes in the AVCA Top 15 poll, 25-19, 25-23, 25-23.

With the pair of losses Wilkes dropped to 5-6 overall and 1-2 in the MAC. Stevenson improved to 12-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference while Arcadia moved to 13-4 overall and 3-0 in MAC matches.

In the day's first match Andrew Potter (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) came up with a kill and solo block on back-to-back points to make the score 15-10 in favor of the host Mustangs in the first set. Stevenson would score 10 of the next 14 points to take the set 25-14.

Daniel Sales (Laflin, PA/James M. Coughlin) served an ace to give the Colonels a 5-4 lead in the second set. After the Mustangs regained the lead, Wilkes tied things up at 7-7 following a Cole Hefner (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh) kill and an attack error by Stevenson. The nationally-ranked side then scored 11 of the next 12 points to take an 18-8 lead and won the second set 25-13.

Following a Potter ace the Colonels led 3-1 early in the third set. After the Mustangs gained the lead, a kill by Ethan Speicher (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) pulled Wilkes back within one point at 11-10 and again at 13-12. A seven-point run by Stevenson pushed its lead to 21-13 as the Mustangs closed out the match with a 25-19 win.

Jones Mensah (Philadelphia, PA/Central) and Mark Piotrowski (Milford, PA/Delaware Valley) led Wilkes with four kills against Stevenson. Sales had 12 assists while Kyle Price (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) and Potter led with five digs.

Arcadia jumped ahead 8-2 in the first set of the day's second match. The Colonels were unable to close to within less than three points the remainder of the set as the Knights won 25-19.

Wilkes started the second set much better, as the Colonels led 6-2 after Speicher and Potter combined for a block. A kill by Potter stretched the lead to five points at 9-4. After Arcadia pulled within two a Sales ace stretched the lead back to four at 13-9. Mensah and Hefner combined for a block and Mensah followed with a kill to give the Colonels a 16-11 lead. Wilkes continued to lead as Piotrowski put away two consecutive kills to bring the score to 21-16 but then Arcadia closed with nine of the final 11 points to win the second set 25-23.

The Colonels again started the third set well, holding a 7-3 lead through the first 10 points. Mensah and Speicher combined for a block followed by a solo block from Speicher for the final two points in the run. A Piotrowski kill kept Wilkes ahead at 13-8 but Arcadia scored nine of the next 12 points to take a 17-16 lead. Speicher put down kills on two of the next three points to even the score at 18. Three-straight points by the Knights followed by three in a row for the Colonels put the set at a 21-21 stalemate. Wilkes then pushed ahead 23-22 following back-to-back kills from Mensah and Potter but Arcadia scored the final three points to win 25-23 and sweep the match.

Piotrowski finished with 10 kills and seven digs. Mensah added nine kills and three blocks while Speicher had six kills and six blocks. Potter posted five kills and seven digs while Sales dished out 29 assists. Hefner finished with four blocks and Price had six digs.

The Colonels return to the court Wednesday, February 20 when they travel to New Jersey City University for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference match.